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Always always always ask for testimonials, sooner than you think you should.
You’re doing amazing work for your clients (or if you’re a new Pinterest Manager, you will be) and you want to share that proof with other potential leads. You also want to make sure that your potential clients can see that other business owners have enjoyed working with you and found your service worth investing in. The best way to do that is to ask for a testimonial sooner rather than later.
When I first got started as a Pinterest Manager I would wait until the end of the project before asking for a testimonial. I didn’t want to seem pushy and I wanted them to feel like they received something before asking them for more.
But what I soon came to realize is that by the end of the project they’re already on to their next big project and it’s harder to get the testimonial in a timely manner, or ever. People are busy and while they may have every intention of giving you a testimonial it can be pushed to the bottom of their to do list because it’s not the biggest priority in their business. Eventually it falls off the list and that sucks.
when do you ask your Pinterest Management client for a testimonial?
While you’re still working on their project – but let’s get a bit more specific.
Here’s an outline of when to ask for a testimonial based on the service offered.
1. Pinterest Account Setup:
Depending on the length of your contract for the account setup you want to ask for the testimonial when you still have 2 weeks left on the project.
2 weeks gives you plenty of time to send out the testimonial request, send a follow up email and remain top of mind with the client.
If you still have 2 weeks left on the project any email from you is considered important so they will prioritize responding to it. This allows you to follow up on the testimonial they said yes to. If the project was finished and you had completed all elements then communication beyond that point isn’t a priority for the client so you want to ensure you still have time before the project ends.
You also want to ensure that you have some tangible result or change that you can share with the client so that they feel confident sharing a testimonial. If you’ve revamped the profile from the ground up and you’ve designed new Pinterest templates that is more than enough to share with them so they can give you a testimonial.
Your goal is to get a testimonial sent back to you within the 2 weeks before you complete the project. If you’re still waiting for the testimonial and it’s getting close to completion, send out an email letting them know what to expect at completion and a reminder about the testimonial.
2. Pinterest Account Management:
Since Pinterest account management can be ongoing for years or it can be canceled after the first 3 months, you want to ask for the testimonial at either of these 2 points – one month into the project or after a major result or change in the profile.
One month into the project:
This is usually a great time to ask for a testimonial because you’ve worked together for a month and you’ve had time to revamp their profile and get them some tangible results – even if it’s small growth. Remember that you can always ask your client to update their testimonial months down the road when the results start coming in hot! Getting that first testimonial is the key.
Why not wait until 3 months or 6 months before asking for a testimonial? While you’re likely to have the best results to showcase at that point you never know when your client will end a project. Even when you’re getting your client amazing results they may decide to stop working with you. That means you need to get one soon with the potential of updating it down the road.
After a major result or change:
Since you’re managing their account monthly you’ll likely find the months in the year when your client’s Pinterest profile content peaks and dips. That means you know when to push certain pieces of content and when to switch things up. It also gives you the opportunity to ask for a testimonial when you have some really great news for your client in terms of results.
3. Pinterest Al La Carte Services (pin design, profile audit etc.):
These once off services are great ways to get testimonials based on the work delivered, not necessarily results like sales, traffic or repins. This means you’ll be asking for a testimonial based on the work you’re doing like the strategy you provided them, the audit you did on their account or the pin designs you created.
Depending on the length of your project you want to ask for the testimonial before the FINAL deliverables are provided.
If you still have the final deliverables for the project any email from you is considered important so they will prioritize responding to it. This allows you to follow up on the testimonial they said yes to. If the project was finished and you had completed all elements involved then communication beyond that point isn’t a priority for the client. You want to ensure you still have time before the project ends.
The key thing with this type of project is that you have to deliver something before the testimonial request (because they need something to reference in the testimonial) but it doesn’t have to be the final deliverable.
If you’re designing pins you’ll likely send through samples of your concept and get approval. Once they’ve approved it and if they love it, then let them know you’ll work on putting together the final files that will be delivered by a certain date. In that same email ask for a testimonial based on the work you’ve done. They have seen the work you’ve created for them and now you’re prepping the deliverables so they are still looking at your emails with intent. That means you can follow up that week regarding the testimonial and also produce the final deliverables.
If you’re doing a Pinterest strategy audit you’ve likely set a video call with them and put together their audit. You may also have a process where you check in 2 weeks later to see if they’re implementing everything and if they have questions. This means you have 2 weeks when you can still communicate with them about a testimonial for the project you worked on with them.
Just a side note: Remember that asking for a testimonial is not a negative thing. Most of the time your clients will happily write a testimonial for you because the work you delivered was superb.
When are other great opportunities to ask for a testimonial?
When you’ve delivered an amazing result for your client.
This result could be anything from revamping the look of their profile to more traffic to their website. It could include getting them sales, email signups, followers or brand collaborations from Pinterest.
When you’ve updated their pin design.
Anytime you update something like their pin design it’s a great opportunity to ask for a testimonial based on the work you’ve done. If they haven’t given you a testimonial yet this can be a great opportunity to introduce the idea to them because they’ve just said they love your work.
When their old testimonial needs an update because of the success they’ve had.
When your client is with you for a long time their testimonial could be from 2 years ago and since then you may have helped them grow their email list, sales, website traffic and so much more. It’s a great opportunity to share the new stats with them and ask them if they’d be willing to update their old testimonial to include the new changes. Most clients would be happy to do this because they’ve already created one before so updating it would be easier than writing it from scratch.
The Ultimate Pinterest Manager Checklist will help you stay on top of your client work so you don’t loose sleep hoping you didn’t forget anything. This checklist will take you through client onboarding, account set up, monthly maintenance and more.
After you go through it, you’ll be able to confidently provide your Pinterest Management clients with an experience they’ll rave about, knowing that you’re on track with all the tasks you need to complete.
Tips to help you get testimonials quickly and efficiently:
It can be difficult to get testimonials when you’re constantly worried they either won’t get back to you, they won’t provide you with a good testimonial or they’ll think it’s too early. That’s why I’ve added these tips below to help you get useful testimonials, in a timely manner without seeming like you’re asking too much.
Ask once they know you
It doesn’t take long for a client to understand your process or what it’s like to work with you. You don’t have to wait until you’ve gotten them unicorn level results before asking for a testimonial. Just make sure they have a good idea of who you are, what it’s like working with you and the standard of your work.
Customize your testimonial request
While it’s easy to want to automate everything in your business, requesting testimonials from Pinterest Management clients for services you provide requires a bit of customization to get the best review possible.
One of the best things you can do when asking for a testimonial is to make it feel like the natural next step. That means making sure your request is conversational and they know why it’s important to you and that you value their feedback.
When asking for a testimonial you want to be referring to work you’re doing for them that will be ready in the next few days or weeks so they get excited about what you’re doing. Once they’ve said yes you want to customize the response you give by sharing tangible results or changes in their profile that would help them create the most useful testimonial for you.
Make the process easy for them
You want to make the process of giving you a testimonial quick and easy for them. If they chat with you via Instagram DM then ask for the testimonial there, provide the questions or guidance on the testimonial there and let them know they can just send it to you in there. The same is true for email or any other communication method they use.
Don’t give them everything in the first email.
You want to start by asking for a simple YES.
Then you want to follow up with the testimonial guidance and unique growth or stats they can reference.
Every step needs to be easy.
You’d think by giving MORE (more examples, more stats, more guidance) you’d get a better testimonial. The opposite is true.
Less is more.
If you want to provide stats they can reference, give them 3 stats max. If you want to provide example testimonials, provide only one. If you want to ask questions to prompt the testimonial then provide only a few.
Make it easy.
Follow up
This is always the hardest part for most Pinterest Managers. Why? Because you may have waited until the end of the project to ask for the testimonial and now your follow up seems like you’re nagging them.
When you have time left in your project you won’t feel like you’re nagging them with a follow up. Remember that nagging feeling is just that – a feeling. Don’t let that stop you from following up.
Once you’ve sent out the initial ask and they said yes, then send out the guidance email and if they haven’t responded yes, you should send a follow up email (preferably before the project ends).
People get busy and your clients sometimes need a reminder so make sure you send a few follow up emails if they keep forgetting to send it.
Ask the right questions or provide the right guidance
Most clients don’t know what to say in a testimonial. It’s like sales page copy – it can give you sleepless nights if you’re not a copywriting queen.
In your guidance email you can provide either an example testimonial they could edit or approve, questions that would prompt their testimonial or results they can use to guide their testimonial.
This again makes it EASY for them.
P.S. Don’t forget to download your Ultimate Pinterest Manager Checklist.
After you go through it, you’ll be able to confidently provide your Pinterest Management clients with an experience they’ll rave about, knowing that you’re on track with all the tasks you need to complete.
Don’t hold off on getting testimonials that could be the key to booking your next client.
How and when do you ask for testimonials? Let me know in the comments below!
